New Jersey Family Day Care Provider Registration Act

Under N.J.S.A. 30:5B-16 et seq., family day care homes serving up to five children (excluding the provider's own) must register with the Department of Children and Families through an approved sponsor agency. State rules set safety, training, background-check, and inspection standards. The Act expressly treats family day care as a residential use, limiting municipal authority to exclude these homes from residential zones or impose additional business licensing on registered providers.

Operating an unregistered family day care, or exceeding the five-child limit, can result in registration revocation and civil penalties under DCF enforcement.